Tear strip wrapping machine



Sept. 20, 1938. J; A. NE UMAIR 2,139,775

TEAR STRIP WRAPPING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 18, 1934 5 Shee s Sheet 1 INVENTOR I V V WZWm Se t, 20, 1938. J A, NEUI MR 2,130,775

7 TEAR STRIP WRAPPING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 18 1934 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG; 2

II Z INVENTOR P 1938- J. A. .NEUMAIR 2,130,775

TEAR STRIP WRAP BING MAC H INE Original Filed Sept. 18, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 4. WM WM ORNEY Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNlTED STATES 2,130,715 TEAB. STRIP WRAPPING MACHINE Joseph A. Neumair, Hollis, N. Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey 1 Application September 18, 1934, Serial No. 744,597 Renewed September 4, 1937 24 Claims.

This invention relates to wrapping or enveloping machines, especially those wherein individual cigars are wrapped and sealed in transparent envelopes or wrappers formed of regenerated cellulose coated with athin layer of fusible moisture proofing composition, or similar material, so that the overlapping portions of the wrapper may be sealed together by fusion of the coating upon application of heat and pressure.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved machine for producing a sealed envelope containing a cigar, and provided with a tear strip protruding .from the seam of said envelope, the package and method of making the same being disclosed in the co-pending application of H. A. Burns, S. N. 722,959, filed April '28,

A further object of this invention is to provide means for nicking the web of wrapping material to provide nicks on the outer seam edge ofthe wrapper blank at either side of the tear strip before the cigar is wrapped therein.

Another object lies in the provision of adjustability of the tear strip web feed mechanism to produce various lengths of tear strips. Still another object is to so arrange the device that the tear strip mechanism can be easily adjusted for different positions of the tear strip within the wrapper. Still another object is to. so construct thetear strip web feed mechanism as to enable its ready connection with a web feed control mechanism. With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described'and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

These various objects are achieved. by the machine shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cigar enveloping machine provided with the tear strip wrapping device;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on line Fig. .3 is a sectional side elevation of the driving mechanism of the tear strip wrapping device, taken on line 33 of Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detailof a modified form of feed mechanism used chiefly for plain tear strip webs without designs or prints thereon;

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of the same, taken on line 55 of Fig. 4; V

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the feed control mechanism used in connection with a photoelectric registering device for-tear strip webs having designs or prints, taken on line 66 of Fig. 1; and i Fig. '7 is a cross-section taken on line l--l of Fig. 2 of the tear strip web guide showing the relative arrangement of the knives for nicking' the wrapper web and the shears for severing the tear strip.

In carrying the invention into effect there is provided a folder pocket, a web feed for feeding a Web of wrapping material in front of the pocket longitudinally thereof, means for feeding a tear strip. web in front of the wrapper web transversely of the pocket, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said webs and nicking one edge of the'wrapper web at either side of the tear strip web, a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into the pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said means when there is no article in position to be transferred to the pocket, folders for folding the Iongitudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from the seam between the nicks of the outer wrapper edge, and means for sealing the overlapped wrapper edges to each other and to the tear strip. Inthe best constructions contemplated the tear strip feeding means is photoelectrically controlled to register printed areas thereon with the wrapper web. These various means and parts may be widely varied in .construction within the scope of the claims for the particular arrangement selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the particular construction shown and described.

The tear strip wrapping device hereinafter described maybe used in connection with a cigar wrapping or enveloping machine of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,899,174, granted Feb. 28,

supported in bearings of a reel-holder bracket ll adjustably secured to a horizontal supporting bar l2 adjustably fastened to brackets l3 mounted on main frame It of the wrapping machine. The

tear strip web I is led over a guide roller l5- revolubly mounted in the bracket H, and is pulled off reel 5 by means of a feed roller l6 splined to a shaft ll slidably mounted in lugs H of bracket ll and bearings IQ of brackets 25 and 20a (Fig. 1) attached to supporting bar It. A tension roller M (Fig. 2) presses the web '1' against feed roller it and assures good traction of the latter on the web '1. Roller 2i is pivoted in a pair of arms 22 loosely mounted on shaft 23 supported in bearings oi lugs id and a hearing it of bracket flu. Arms 22 areprovided with tension springs 25 anchored to the adjacent lug l8, whereby the roller 26 presses web '1 against feed roller it. It will beobseived from the following description that the adjustment of bracket H and bar it will, resprctlvely, vary the position at which the tear strip is enfolded in the enveioped cigar and increase or diminish the lengthof the tear strips severed from web I.

In order to control its feed in such a manner that prints or designs on the web T will appear in the same relative position on all tear strips severed therefrom and the enveloped cigars in, in which the tear strips are enfolded, the tear strip web T is led between a photoelectric cell 26 (Fig. 2) attached to holder bracket ll and a lamp housing 260. containing an incandescent lamp arranged to project a beam of light through the web T onto the photoceliZB. The photoelectric cell 25 through wires 21 (Fig. 1) is connected with the grid of a thermionic valve (not shown) in a control box 2% (Fig. 1), the anode circuit of the thermionic valve being connected to a relay which controls the circuit in the wires 29 through an electromagnet 3d attached to bracket 39 mounted on main frame it, and the filament of the thermionic valve, the photocell 26 and the wires 29 being in circuit with the supply mains 32. Control box 2d contains all the elements of an electrical clutch control mechanism such as shown in Fig. 5 of Patent No. 1,998,069, granted April 16, 1935, on the co-pending application of R. J. Beutel, S. N. 611,909, filed .May 1'7, 1933, including a commutator C (Fig. '1) connected in series through the relay to the line it and also connected to one of the leads 29 and acting to break the circuit through the electromagnet 30 after the same has been closed by the relay.

With the passage of a printed design D on the tear strip web T through the light beam projected onto the photoelectric cell 26 the latter will be dark and it passes no current and hence the grid potential of the thermionic valve will be changed so that sufllcient current flows in its anode circuit to energize the relay and close the circuit through the electromagnet 30 whereby the latter is energized and attracts an armature plate 33 attached to a sleeve 34 loosely mounted on shaft 35 (Figs. 1 and 6), supported in bearings of main frame It.

Sleeve 34 carries a vertical stud 36 (Fig. 6) which engages with arm 31 of a double lever 38 pivoted to a lug 39 of pedestal l3. The other arm of double lever 38 is equipped with an operating plate Ml facing the end of the tear strip web feed drive shaft II. On the latter is mounted the clutch member or disk 4| (Fig. 1) engaging with the clutch member or disk 2. Clutch member 42 is mounted on a housing carried by a,

drive shaft 43 intermittently rotated in one direction only through a ratchet 44 and a spring pawl 45 from an oscillating gear 46 driven by a reciprocating gear rack 41 connected to a web feed controlmechanism F of the general type disclosed in Patent No. 1,875,974, granted September 6, 1932, on the application of T. W. Alm, which is operated by means of a cam lever (it I fromthe main drive of the wrapping machine.

- Feed shaft ll is equipped with a collar 49 (Fig. 1) and a compression spring 55 to keep the clutch members engaging during the feeding operation. As soon as the beam of light thrown onto the photoelectric cell -25 is intercepted by the prints or designs D of the tear strip web T, the electromagnet 30 is energized and attracts armature plate 33, whereupon the lever 38 presses the operating plate Ml against the end of shaft ll, causing clutch member (ii to disengage clutch member 42 and thereby stop feed roller IS. The latter is splined to the shaft ll by a key M (Fig. 1) slidably engaging in a keyway 5?.

of shaft H. In this manner the feeding of the web T is interrupted until the circuit through theelectromagnet 30 is broken by the commutator C, whereupon the feeding of the web T is resumed. While the photoelectric cell is illuminated by the beam of light projected thereon through the web T it passes a current which opposes the grid current of the thermionic valve and thus reduces the same sufi'iciently until there is no current in the anode circuit. The relay is then no longer energized to close the circuit through the electromagnet and latter is thus maintained ina deenergized condition until the light beam is intercepted by a printed areaof the web T.

After passing feed roller it the tear strip web T is led through a vertical guide 53 attached to lugs ill. Guide 53 is provided with a concave channel 54 (Fig. 7), the shape of which will minlmize the friction of the tear strip T while pass- I ing therethrough, and serve to increase the stiffness of the free end of the tear strip web T, thus assuring that itwill be fed into position to be enfolded in the enveloped cigar.

To guide 53 is attached a knife holder bracket 55 on which is mounteda stationary ledger plate 56. A swingable knife blade 51 is pivoted on stud 58 set in bracket 55 and disposed obliquely of the tear strip web T to form a pointed tab on the severed tear strip. Knife blade 51 and stud 58 are connected by means of a torsion spring 59 (Fig. 1) for the purpose of keeping blade 51 while it is at inoperative position, in contact with the adjusting screw 60 of the knife operating lever (ii. The latter is fulcrumed on a stud 62 (Fig. 2) set in one of the lugs I8. Arm 63 of the lever 6l carries a cam roller 66 engaging the plate cam 65 mounted on oscillating shaft 23. Roller 6B is held in engagement with cam 65 by means of a tension spring 66. Shaft 23 carries a gear El (Figs. 1 and 2) which is actuated by means of a reciprocating gear rack lid guided by the roller 69 (Fig. l) and connected to an operating lever Hi mounted on a rocker shaftnicking the outer seam edge of the wrapper web W at either side of the tear strip web T in order to start the tearing of the wrapper when the pointed tab on the protruding end of the tear strip T is pulled, after the same has been enfolded in the enveloped cigar, to remove the wrapper from the cigar. To the back of guide 53 is attached a ledger plate 13 (Fig. 2) through the slots of which the nicking knives 12 will pass during the nicking operation, thus assuring clean cuttingof the nicks.

The wrapper web W is fed from a roll R by means of a web feed of the type shown in the Patent No. 1,796,073, granted March 10, 1931,

on the application of R. J. Beutei, comprising a pair of rollers 14 (Fig. 1) into horizontal guides 15- attached to main frame I4, and a desired length of wrapper is cut off therefrom by means of a knife 18 actuated from the main drive of the wrapping machine in the manner shown in said Patent No. 1,796,073. R011 R is supported by a stub shaft 11 loosely mounted in a bracket 18 fastened to main frame l4. Feed rollers 14 are driven intermittently by means of a bevel gear 19 (Fig. 1) meshing with a bevelgear '80 fast on shaft operated by means of the rack F of the wrapper feed drive and control mechanism F (Fig. 3), the rack F being gearex o shaft 35 to turn it one direction only.

The cigars to be enveloped are advanced sidewise in a row on a table 8| (Fig. 2) with a stepby-step motion by means of pusher fingers 82 .towards a pair of oscillating transfer arms 83 out tear strip T andwrapper blank W (Fig. 2)

into a turret or folder pocket 84, the cutting of the tear strip T taking place as the cigar in arms 83 touches the strip T and wrapper blank W. After the cigar with the tear strip and wrapper is pushed into folder pocket 84, a folding plate 85 moves upward and folds the lower outstanding edge of the wrapper W and strip T onto the cigar. The other longitudinal edge of the wrapper is folded over the inner ,edge by means of a stationary folding plate 88 as the turret advances in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the pointed tab of thetear strip pro truding from the seam so formed, between the nicks of the outer seam edge. Stationary folder plate 88 is attached to main frame l4 and folding plate 85 is vertically oscillated by means of a pair of levers 81 operated from the main drive of the machine. c

In case the pusher fingers 82 fail to advance a cigar into position to be transferred to the folder pocket the control "mechanism F will be incapacitated in the manner shown in the Aim Patent No. 1,875,974 referred to above, thereby temporarily. stopping the wrapper web and tear path of the cigars being advanced by the pushers 82 and connected to linkage (not shown herein) carrying a knock-out screw (not shown) which engages the tail of a latch lever (not shown) pivotally mounted on the rod F connected to the collar F loosely mounted on the rod F, unless the feeler is pushed back by an advancing cigar. The collar F is pivotally connected to the lower ends of the racks 41 and F wherefore the absence of a cigar in the row of cigars being advanced by the pushers 82 will cause the latch:

a pawl 88 acting upon a ratchet 89 mounted on shaft I'I. Pawl 88 is equipped with a spring 90 urging it against the ratchet 89 and provided with a pin 9| projecting over a stationary cam 92 having its hub loosely mounted on shaft l1. By means of a set screw 93 the cam 92 can be fastened to shaft I! in any desired position to control the feed for the. length of tear strip T desired. As soon as pin 9i rides onto the high portion of cam 9 pawl 88 disengages' from ratchet 89 and th eby arrests the tear strip feed. Reciprocating gearrack 41 is always held in engagement with oscillating gear 48 by a guide roller 94 pivoted to the rear portion of bracket 28.

While the invention hasbeen illustrated in connection with the cigar enveloping machine shown in the ,Wheeler PatentNo. 1,899,174, it will be understood that the invention may be applied to cigar enveloping machines of other types, such as that shown in Patent No. 1,964,411, granted on the application of R. J. Beutel. With the latter machine, when regenerated cellulose coated with a thin layer of fusible material is used for the wrapping material and the tear strip web, the overlapped wrapper edges will be heat sealed to each other and to the end of the tear strip protruding from the seam. so formed. One advantage resulting from the union of the tear strip and thewrapper edges is that when the tabof the tear strip is grasped to tear open the wrapper, the tear strip cannot be pulled out from "between the wrapper edges without rupturing the wrapper as in prior arrangements in which the overlapped wrapper edges are unsealed.

It will also be understood while the invention has been described in conjunction with cigar enveloping machines, it may be applied to candy. bread, and chewing gum wrapping machines, cigarette packaging machines and the like.

What is claimed is: p

1. The combination with a folder pocket, of a web feed for feeding a web of wrapping material in front of said pocket longitudinally thereof,

;p'hotoelectricaliy controlled means for feeding. a

printed web transversely of said pocket in front of said wrapper web and registering the printed areas of the printed web with said wrapper web, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said wrapper web and printed web respectively and nicking one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the printed web,

a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between, the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing'movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said photoelectrically controlled means when there is no'article in position to be transferred to said pocket, and folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation to form a seam withthe nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge.

2. The combination with a folder pocket, ofa respectively and nicking one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the printed web, and a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article from said row into said pocket, whereby the articleis enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said means when there is no article in position to be transferred to said pocket, folders for folding the longi'rudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, and means for sealing said overlapped edges to each other and to said tear strip.

3. The combination with a. folder pocket, of a web feed for feeding. a. web of wrapping material in front of said pocket longitudinally thereof, photoelectrically controlled means for feeding a printed web transversely of said pocket in front of said wrapper web and registering the printed areas of the printed web with said wrapper web, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said wrapper web and printed web respectively and nicking one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the printed web, a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said photoelectrically controlled means when there is nov article in position to be transferred to said pocket, and foldersfor folding the longitudinal'edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation to form a seam with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, said mechanism in front of said pocket longitudinally thereof,

photoelectricaIl-y controlled means for feeding a printed web transversely of said pocket in front of said wrapper web and registering the printed areas of the printed web with said wrapper web, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said wrapper web and printed web respectively and nicking one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the printed web, a. device for periodically advancing a row of articles-and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper. blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said photoelectrically controlled means when there is no article-in position to be transferred to said pocket, and folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation to form a seam with the nicked edge outermost'so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, said mechanism including a stationary ledger plate, a pivoted knife blade arranged to sever .the tear strip web obliquely in order to provide a pointed tab on the tear strip end protruding from said seam, a cam-operated arm engaging said knife, and ,a spring urging said knife against said arm.

5. The combination with a folder pocket, of a web feed for feeding a web of wrapping material in front of said pocket longitudinally thereof, photoelectrically controlled means for feeding a printed web transversely of said pocket in front of said wrapper web and registering the printed areas of the printed web with said wrapper web, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said wrapper web and printed web respectively and nicking one edge of the wrapper 30 web at either side of the printed web, a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between'the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said photoelectrically controlled means when there is no article in position to be transferred to said pocket, and folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation to form a seam with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, said mechanism including a pivoted knife blade arranged to sever the tearstrip web obliquely in order to provide a pointed tab on the tear strip end protruding from said seam, a cam-operated arm engaging said-knife blade, a spring urging said knife blade against said arm, a pair of spaced nicking knives on said arm arranged to nick one edge of the 6. The'combination with a folder pocket, of aweb feed for feeding a web of wrapping material in front of said' pocket longitudinally thereof, photoelectrically controlled means for feeding a printed web-transversely of said pocket infront of said wrapper web and registering the printed areas of the printed web with said wrapper web, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said wrapper web and printed web respectively and nickingone edge of the wrapper web at either side of the printed-web, a device for periodically advancing a row ofarticles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said photoelectrically controlled means when there is no article in position to be transferred to said pocket, and folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation to form a seam with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, said means including a pair of feed rollers arranged to feed the tear strip web transversely of said pocket, a driven,

shaft, pawl and ratchet mechanism for intermittently rotating said driven shaft, an axially movable shaft on which one of said feed rollers is splined, clutch members connecting said shafts, an electromagnetic device for shifting said feed roller shaft axially to disengage said clutch members, a photoelectric cell arranged on one side of said tear strip web, a circuit connecting said cell with said electromagnetic device, and a source of light arranged to project a beam of,light through said tear strip web onto said cell, whereby when means for feeding a tear strip. web in front of said wrapper web transversely of said pocket, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said webs and nicking one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the tear strip web, a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said means when there is no article in position to be transferred to said pocket, and-folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge.

8. The combination with a folder pocket, of a web feed for feeding a web of wrapping material in front of said pocket longitudinally thereof, means for feeding a tear strip web in front of said wrapper web transversely of said pocket, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said webs and nicking one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the tear strip web, a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said means when there is no article in position to be transferred to said pocket, folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the wrapper. into overlapping relation with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, and means for sealing the overlapped edges to each other and to said tear strip.

9. Thecombination with a folder pocket, of a web feedfor feeding a web of wrapping material in front of said pocket longitudinally thereof, means for feeding a tear strip web in front of said wrapper web transversely of said pocket, mechanism for severing a wrapper-blank and a tear strip from said webs and nicking one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the tear strip web,

a device for periodically advancinga row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mech- 5 anism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said means when there is no article, in position to be transferred to said pocket, and folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the rapper into overlapping relation with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, said mechanism including a pivoted knife blade arranged to sever the tear strip web, a cam-operated arm engaging said knife blade, a spring urging said knife blade against said arm, a pair of spaced nicking knives on said arm arranged to nick one edge of the wrapper web at either side of the tear strip web,iand a stationary ledger plate provided with slots aligned with said nicking knives.

10. The combination with a folder pocket, of a web feed for feeding a web of wrapping material in front of said pocket longitudinally thereof, means for feeding a tear strip web in front of said wrapper web transversely of said pocket, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and a tear strip from said webs and nicking one edge of the wrapper web ateither side of the tear strip web, a device for periodically advancing a row of articles and transferring an article sidewise from said row into said pocket, whereby the article is enfolded in the wrapper blank and the tear strip is held between the wrapper and the article, mechanism controlled by the advancing movement of the articles in said row for incapacitating said means when there is no article in position to be transferred to said pocket, and folders for folding the longitudinal edges of the wrapper into overlapping relation with the nicked edge outermost so that the tear strip protrudes from said seam between the nicks of said outer wrapper edge, said means including a pair of feed rollers arranged to feed the tear strip web transversely of said pocket, a shaft on which one of said rollers is fixed, a gear loose on said shaft, a reciprocable rack meshing with said gear, a ratchet fast on said shaft, a spring pawl pivoted on said gear to engage said ratchet, and a stationary cam engaging said pawl to disengage it 5 from said-ratchet at a predetermined point, said cam being adjustable to vary the length of the web fed.

11. The combination with a pivoted knife blade arranged to sever a tear strip web, of a.cam-oper ated arm engaging said knife blade, a spring urging said knife blade against said arm, a pair of spaced nicking knives on said arm arranged to nick one edge of a wrapper web disposed at right angles to the tear strip web, and a stationary 0 ledger plate provided with slots aligned with said nicking knives.

12. The combinationwith a pair of feed rollers arranged,to feed a printed tear strip web, of a driven shaft, pawl and ratchet mechanism for 5 intermittently rotating said driven shaft, an axially movable shaft on which one of said feed rollers is splined, clutch members connected to said shafts, an electromagnetic device for shifting said feed roller shaft axially to disengage said clutch members, a photoelectric cell arranged on one side of the tear strip web, a circuit connecting said cell with said electromagnetic device, and a source of-light arrangedto project a beam of light through said web onto saidcell, whereby 4 when the light beam is intercepted by a printed from said ratchet at a predetermined point during its forward movement and thus arrest the feeding of the web, said cam being adjustable to vary the length of web fed.

14:. in an article wrapping machine, the combination with mechanism for bringing an elongated envelop sheet and a cigar together, of means for advancing one end of a continuous strip of band material transversely of said sheet to position the same between said sheet and cigar, said means including a channeled member engaging the strip to bow the same and thereby stiffen the projected portion thereof.

- 15. The combination with a web feed for intermittently advancing a web of wrapping material lengthwise along articles to be wrapped, of photoelectrically controlled means for feeding a printed hand between the web of wrapping material and the article transversely of the latter and stopping the band with a printed area thereon in register with said wrapper web, and thereafter restarting the feeding of the band, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and tear strip from said wrapper web and band respectively while the same are at rest and nicking one longitudinal edge of the wrapper blank at either side of the band, mechanism for folding the wrapper blank and tear strip about the article to lap the nicked edge of the wrapper on its opposite edge and form a seam from which the tear strip protrudes between the nicks of the outer edge of the wrapper.

16. The combination with a web feed for intermittently advancing a web of wrapping material til? lengthwise along articles to be.wrapped, of means for feeding a band between the web of wrapping material and the article transversely of the latter, mechanism for severing a. wrapper blank and tear strip from said wrapper web and band respectively and nicking one longitudinal edge of the wrapper blank at either side of the band, mechanism for folding the wrapper and tear strip about the article to lap the nicked edge of the wrapper on its opposite edge and form a seam from which the tear strip protrudes between the nicks of the outer edge of the wrapper, said means periodically advancing the band.

1'7. The combination with a web feed for intermittently advancing a web of wrapping material to bring it into proximity with articles to be wrapped, of means for separately feeding a band to bring it, between-the web of wrapping material and the article, the band being narrower than the web, mechanism for stopping and thereafter restarting said band-feeding means, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and tear strip from said wrapper web and band respectively while the a seam from which the'tear strip protrudes between said nicks. 18. The combination with a web feed for inter strip protrudes from the seam.

' trolled mechanism for moving a'printed web into mittently advancing a web of wrapping material to bring it into proximity with articles to be wrapped, of means for separately feeding a band to bring it between the web of wrapping material and the article, the band being narrower than 5 the web, mechanism for stopping and thereafter restarting said band-feeding means, mechanism for severing a wrapper blank and tear strip from said wrapper web and band respectively while the same are at rest and molding one edge of the wrapper blank at either side of the tear strip, mechanism for folding the wrapper blank and tear strip about the article to lap the nicked edge of the wrapper on its opposite edge and form a seam from which the tear strip protrudes between said picks, and means for sealing the lapped wrapper edges to each other and the tear strip.

19. The combination with a web feed for intermittently advancing a web of wrapping material to bring it into proximity with articles to be wrapped, of means for separately feeding a band to bring it between the web of wrapping material and the article, the band being narrower than the web, mechanism for stopping and there after restarting said bandfeeding means, a device for severing a wrapper blank from the web of wrapping material while the same is at rest, means for severing a tear strip from the band while the feeding of the latter is interrupted and nicking one edge of the wrapper blank at either side of the tear strip, and mechanism for folding the wrapper blank and tear strip about the article to lap the nicked edge of the wrapper on its opposite edge and'form a seam from which the tear strip protrudes between said nicks, said band-feeding means being adjustable bodily together with said strip-severing and wrappen' nicking means to vary the position at which said 20. The combination with means for advancing wrapping material, of' photoelectrically controlled mechanism for moving a printed web into predetermined relation with said wrapping material, members ior severing a strip from said web and weakening a portion of the wrapping material, and means for enfolding an article within the severed strip and wrapping material with the strip protruding from the weakened portion of the wrapper, said mechanism automatically resuming feeding of the web after said enfoldment. I

21. The. combination with means for advancing wrapping material, of photoelectrically controlled mechanism for moving a printed web into predetermined relation with said wrapping, mem- -bers for severing a strip from said web, and

resuming feeding of the web after said enfoldment. Y

22. The combination with means for advancing wrapping material, of photoelectrically conpredetermined relation with said wrapping, members for severing a strip from said web, means for enfoldingan article within the severed strip and wrapping material with the strip wi in the wrapper, said mechanism automaigahy r e: suming feeding of the web after sai oldment, and a-device for heat e severed strip to the wrapping ma 23. The combination with asupport for a cigar, means for feeding a continuous strip of wrapper 7 material and for severing lengths therefrom, said wrapping material being or a width suflicient to circumferentially enwrap acigar and coated'with a fusible heat sealing agent and having smooth longitudinal edges, mechanism cooperating with said means for nicking one of said edges in predetermined relation to the line of severance to facilitate tearing of the wrapper material transversely of its length, and devices coacting with said support and said means to wrap the severed and nicked length of material about the cigar with the nicked edge overlapping the other longitudinal edge of the wrapper, and heat sealing means including a heat sealing element acting on said edges to unite the same together.

24. The combination with a support for a cigar, of means for feeding a continuous-strip of wrapper material and cutting lengths therefrom, said wrapper material being coated, with .a fusible 20 heat sealing agent, the wrapper material having smooth edges, mechanism cooperating. with said means for nicking one of said edges in a predetermined relation to the line of severance to facilitate tearing of the'wrapper material transversely of its length, means for positioning a length of narrow tear strip material having a fusible heat scalable coating thereon into predetermined position relative to the severed length of said material with a portion of the tear strip adjacent the nick in the edge, and devices coacting with said means and said support to wrap the severed and nicked length of material about the cigar with the nicked edge in engagement with the other longitudinal edge of the wrapper and with an end of the tear strip extending between said edges adjacent said nick, and heat sealing means including a heated element acting on said edges to unite together the edgeportions oi the wrapper and said tear strip.

JOSEPH A. NEUMAIR. 

